THE CRUCIBLE OF THE ETERNAL - Press Release

By all accounts, Zemeri deserves to take revenge. Her uncle assassinated her family, his general is hunting her for a crime she didn’t commit, and for some strange reason, she cannot die.

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Holy men from distant cultures and in faraway lands cannot explain her immortality. This leaves her on the run, a shifting target because letting the general bring her in to face ‘justice’ is out of the question.

While the cure for immortality eludes her, she is not without hope. But she will need all the help she can get when she learns she is not the only one in the general’s sights. When he kidnaps a gifted boy, it’s her turn to hunt, and hopefully, Death has its final say.

Title: The Crucible of the Eternal

Heat Level: 1/5

Genre/subgenre: Epic Fantasy

Target audience (age group, reader type): Adult

Word count or page count: 123800/479

Release date: Jul-24

Publisher: Sevannah Storm

Series info: Standalone

Short blurb:

Immortality is a curse. Zemeri has searched decades for a cure while dodging her ex-crush and killing sorcerers intent on seizing her, the atrocity they created. Finding love again changes her perspective. It’s her turn to hunt, even if it kills her for the last time.

One-line hooks or taglines:

Cursed with immortality. Chosen for vengeance.
Death won’t claim her. But her enemies will wish it had.
In a world of prophecy and power, death is only the beginning.
Her curse is eternal. Her fury, divine.
She doesn’t know why she lives. But she knows who must die.

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Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/bWlOVx

Excerpts:

Do not fear, she whispered into his thoughts. He froze then spun, a dagger in hand. If I show myself, will you stab me? she teased. “I might,” he muttered, not lowering the weapon.

“Do you read minds often?” He released and clenched the wood with his knuckles whitening. “Lately, yes.” She joined him, staring at the choppy waves and the large jelly-like creatures floating just beneath the surface. “Have I read your mind is what you truly want to know.” She faced him, leaning her hip against the gunwale. “No.”

Wiping the bl00d off on his cloak, she rose. Fingers gripped her wrist. She froze and glanced at him, finding him very much alive. “You are cursed with immortality, too?” She clutched her wound, ignoring the warm dribble of her blood leaking through her splayed fingers. Death by his dagger?

He shot forward, faster than she’d expected. With his fingers around her wrist, he yanked her across the pool, meeting her mouth with his. His lips were dry yet soft, melding to hers as if he was made for her.

Heat of another kind pooled inside her. The hairs on the nape of her neck tingled. With water slicking their bodies, what followed was beyond her wildest imagination. It was…musical, a symphony of bodies in alignment, souls united, minds welded.

Reader reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great fantasy read!
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024
This truly well-written fantasy kept me reading to find out what eventually happens to Meri. There’s magic and love and battles and harems and dragons. Anything you could possibly want in a fantasy is contained within these pages, not to mention a quest to end a curse of immortality. The final battle was exceptional as well. I really love Sevannah Storm’s writing and this story is no exception. I highly recommend anything she writes to all lovers of fantasy.

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Discussion or book club questions:

Zemeri is cursed—or blessed—with immortality. How does her inability to die shape her decisions, values, and relationships throughout the story? Would you view immortality as a gift or a burden in her position?

The theme of justice versus revenge runs strong. Do you think Zemeri seeks true justice, or is she driven more by vengeance? Where do you draw the line between the two?

What role does fate or prophecy seem to play in Zemeri’s life? Do you think her survival is part of a greater design, or is it purely chance?

Zemeri must make moral choices while being hunted. Did you agree with how she handled those situations—or did you think there was another path she could have taken?

The general is a powerful villain, but he’s also deeply tied to Zemeri’s past. What do you think motivates him? Is he a product of his environment, ambition, or something else?

The kidnapped boy introduces a new layer to Zemeri’s character. How does his presence shift her purpose and priorities?

Holy men and mystics offer no answers to Zemeri’s curse. What do you think the story is saying about religion, spiritual knowledge, or divine interference in mortal lives?

Throughout the book, Zemeri is forced to keep running. What does her constant movement symbolize? How does it impact her development or stagnation?

Zemeri’s story is one of legacy and survival. How does she carry the weight of her family’s fall, and in what ways does she honor or reject their memory?

The story ends with Zemeri turning from hunted to hunter. How did that transformation feel to you as a reader? Empowering? Bittersweet? Something else?

Hashtags:

#epicfantasy #magic #dragons #immortality #bookstagram #amreading #readersofig #fantasyreaders #booktok

Relevant tropes or keywords:

Sword & Sorcery
Immortality
Dragons
Road trip
Betrayal
Kick-a$$ heroine